Statistics majors may choose among several options. These options provide guidelines to help students determine a particular focus for their undergraduate studies.

Actuarial Option

An actuarial science background can provide students with excellent career opportunities. Actuaries work in a variety of fields including insurance companies, healthcare, consulting firms, and federal agencies. More information about becoming an actuary can be found at the Society of Actuaries.

Applied Option

College graduates with statistical and analytical skills are highly sought after for positions in business, industry, and government. This option focuses on developing proficiency in analytical methods applicable to real-world problems. A minor or second major in a non-mathematical field is required to complement the student's statistical knowledge base with another discipline.

Biostatistics Option

This option focuses on biostatistics, the application of statistical methods to a wide range of important subject areas related to biology, medicine, and public health. More information about careers in biostatistics can be found at The International Biometric Society.

Computing Option

Data sets are larger and more complex than ever before, and statistical and mathematical models continue to become more sophisticated. Computing is, therefore, a central skill for modern statisticians. This option focuses on developing these computational skills.

Graduate Studies Option

This option requires additional mathematics courses that are important for advanced study in statistics, with the goal of a research career in statistics.

Statistics Minor

The Statistics minor introduces students to the quantitative aspects of research. Understanding statistics is useful for research in many areas including agriculture, business, education, social science, and sciences as well as many jobs in industry and government.

Data Science Major

The new Data Sciences degree program at Penn State is part of an intercollege initiative between the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), College of Engineering, and Eberly College of Science to meet that need. The program will educate students on the technical fundamentals of data sciences, with a focus on developing the knowledge and skills needed to manage and analyze large-scale, unstructured data to address an expanding range of problems in industry, government, and academia. As a result, data sciences graduates will possess the core skills and problem-solving approaches to compete for leading-edge analytics positions across many different industry sectors.